They stopped on the sidewalk, albeit briefly, to kiss, theirmasksdraped around their necks.
I watched longingly and, without thinking, kissed my own shoulder.
This is quarantine, I thought.
Sergey Filimonov/Adobe Stock
At this point Ive spent an entire month sheltering in place mostly inside my 550-square-foot New York apartment.
I also knew that staying holed up here in the Big Apple would provide some normalcy.
And so I sit here alone.
This is something that wasnt exactly the easiest for mebeforethe novel coronavirus hit, either.
Im asingle womanin my early 30s.
Relationships are all wacky and complicated in their own way.
Instead, I long for touch.
I have what some call touch hunger.
Brushing by someone in the hallway of your apartment building or on your morning walk.
Accidentally bumping into passersby during a subway commute.
High-fiving sweat-drenched comrades at a workout class.
Hugging a friend who shared some good news.
The things I would do for a hug, or to hold someonesanyoneshand.
Its not surprising [that] within the prison system, one of the worst punishments is isolation.
From a young age, physical touch plays a huge role in our development.
But Wen emphasizes that touch is much, much more than a love language.
Then the participants were each quarantined in hotel rooms and exposed to a cold or flu virus.
Having it removed so quickly for me, Ive never missed an embrace more, she says.
A touch can put you more at ease sometimes than words.
Jessica Brucia, a middle school education teacher also in New York, can certainly relate.
At age 39, Brucia is currently riding out the pandemic alone in her apartment while eight monthspregnant.
Brucia says that shes most afraid about not having anyone around to meetthe baby.
My friends are planning a virtual baby shower for me, she says.
Its just not the same, and it feels really [lonely].
Apparently, my shoulder kiss wasnt all that weird, after all.
Being on your own throughout all of this may make you feellonely, helpless, and out of control.
Its to be expected, honestly.
Be in your present body, Wen says.
And remember: This is temporary.
Allow yourself to feel.
Feel.I can do that.
Im good at that.
